Although the trajectory from the far left to the right is not an uncommon phenomenon, the shift en masse from the RCP to Spiked via Living Marxism, which kept much of the same leading personnel intact and with few openly breaking with the party/network, is more unique. As Chris Gilligan, a former RCP member, has noted, this network seems to be quite a conscious decision made in the late 1990s
https://hatfulofhistory.wordpress.com/2022/02/05/a
nti-statism-and-the-trajectory-from-the-revolutionary-communist-party-to-spiked/
Were they left? Are they hard right?
Who knows. But, the least we know for sure - they are c*nts.
They didn’t sound very appealing when they were the RCP. People like Mirza were too young to be involved in that though - she jumped straight into the Spiked crew.
As far as I can see they enjoyed their cult-like 'revolutionary cell' and radical posturing too much to give it up after they gave up believing in the Marxist stuff. Living Marxism and then Spiked was their way of continuing this little game, while also providing a nice little earner from right wing plutocratic backers (like the Koch brothers) who could rely on them to sow confusion and division in leftish media circles
How the hell did Claire Fox end up in the House of Lords? Was it some kind of Brexit Party quid pro quo? And maybe...
A political power couple at the heart of Downing Street has been linked with the award of a peerage to Claire Fox, a former communist who has praised the IRA.
Senior Tories claimed that Munira Mirza, the director of policy at No 10, helped to secure Fox’s peerage — an honour that sparked fury from the victims of Irish Republican atrocities, including the 1993 Warrington bombings.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/did-no-10-power-couple-back-peerage-for-ex-communist-claire-fox-lx888hsxc
They’ve had a surprising amount of influence for something springing from a left wing groupsucle. Maybe it was just knowing where to get the money from once they decided to become right wing contrarians. It’s interesting the original lot decided to stick together and make the same ‘journey’.
The continuity thread seems to be the anti-statism that they are all dicks.
(Selected elements of anti-statism that have changed over time).
They certainly seem to have adopted a Masonic concern for each other.
Why did these members of the RCP make this journey whereas others such as the WRP, SWP and CPGB didn't?
Self Appointed Libertarian Twonks!
Good point, we have the existing thread (with that excellent title).
I used to really enjoy Living Marxism.
Why did these members of the RCP make this journey whereas others such as the WRP, SWP and CPGB didn't?
The RCP were always an exception and always contrarian even within far left Peoples Front of Judea circles. Most left wing groups would argue about ideology but unite during demonstrations, strikes etc but the RCP always had a position that everyone else was getting it wrong
RCP always had a position that everyone else was getting it wrong
And Spiked still seems to have a focus on 'the Left is doing it wrong' articles, more so than other right-wing sources.
They made their biggest shift in the early nineties when Living Marxism came out, until then they had just been producing inky rags like other far left groups. It coincided with the rise of New Labour who were often their target.
and then of course "you've never read Marx".
Long article about them in 2000:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/jul/08/davidpa
llister.johnvidal1
And Spiked still seems to have a focus on 'the Left is doing it wrong' articles, more so than other right-wing sources.
That's because 'the Left' is doing it wrong.
Spiked seems to focus on 'the Left's' shift from a class based analysis to an identity based analysis, its disdain for the working class and its lack of concern for free speech - which seems to have had the bizarre consequence that free speech is now seen as a 'Right wing' issue.
Define "the Left", and why have you capitalised the word left?
He's also capitalised "Right".